First Night in the New Nest (1)
I swallowed a hollow laugh.
Yet from everything I had experienced so far, Cardia’s judgment was something I could trust. She might be a little jealous, but that was separate from the sharp eye she had for seeing straight through to the essence of things.
Yoo Harin harbors no malice.
That had been Cardia’s verdict on her.
I fell silent for a while, thinking of the old, rundown villa on the outskirts of Guro-gu where I currently lived. No elevator, no soundproofing, and a neighborhood that left a lot to be desired. Living alone, I had never felt the need to care. But now Cardia was at my side. For the woman who had pressed her lips even to the dusty floorboards in pure gratitude, I wanted to give her a better place to live.
Having made up my mind, I slowly opened my mouth.
“I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”
In an instant Yoo Harin’s face lit up.
“Th-th-that’s… r-really true?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and added, “Thank you for being so considerate in so many ways.”
“Ah, n-no!”
She hurriedly waved her hands, then remembered she was driving and snapped her gaze back to the road.
“I-I just…”
“……?”
Her lips moved for a moment before she finished in a voice barely above a whisper.
“I wanted to help you, Jiwoo-ssi.”
“…….”
There was no calculation in the shy words she offered. The pure goodwill in them made a smile rise unbidden.
“I’m truly grateful.”
Yoo Harin’s face flushed scarlet all over again.
“I-it’s nothing.”
Then Cardia spoke quietly inside my head.
[Master.]
‘Yeah?’
[This young lady… her heart seems truly kind.]
‘…….’
Praise from Cardia herself, of all people.
The house Yoo Harin had mentioned turned out to be closer than I expected. Precisely speaking, it was a high-end residential complex near the heart of Gangnam yet well shielded from prying eyes.
“……This is it?”
I stared out the car window, mouth open.
A three-story ultra-modern mansion. The front yard boasted a splendid garden and a spacious swimming pool. Thorough security gates at a glance, a neatly paved driveway, soft yet refined lighting, and every kind of security system imaginable. It was a completely different world from the old Guro-gu villa I had been living in.
Yoo Harin spoke carefully.
“It’s a neighborhood where high-ranking hunters mostly live.”
“High-ranking hunters?”
“Yes. Every house here has excellent soundproofing, fortification, and mana-blocking facilities.”
Mana-blocking. That meant the perfect place to hide Cardia’s presence.
She continued.
“On top of that, each residence has its own independent defensive barrier, so it’s nearly impossible for anyone outside to sense what’s happening inside.”
“……!”
“It might not be the absolute top-tier facilities, but it’ll be far more comfortable than where you’re staying now.”
This wasn’t top-tier? To my eyes it was an entirely different world.
Cold sweat ran down my spine.
From inside the Subspace Pocket, Cardia whispered.
[It is certainly far better than our current nest.]
‘That’s true.’
[The mana-blocking barrier is quite decent as well.]
‘Even to your eyes?’
[Indeed it is.]
After passing through the security gate, Yoo Harin’s car followed the driveway into the parking facility. A short while later we entered the underground garage and stepped into an elevator. I couldn’t stop marveling. A private house with an underground garage and elevator! It was a whole new world.
The elevator stopped at the first floor.
“Here we are.”
She took out a card key and unlocked the door.
Beep. Click.
The door opened.
And—
“……Wow.”
I stood frozen, mouth hanging open.
The first thought that hit me was how spacious it was. The living room alone was far larger than my entire previous home. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of this ultra-modern house perched on a fairly high hill, the nightscape of Seoul spread out below. A clean kitchen, several rooms visible around it. Even the wide bathroom you reached by going down the stairs to the basement was large enough to rival a public bathhouse. The basement held not only the bathroom but various facilities, including a state-of-the-art training room exclusively for hunters. The second and third floors had additional private studies and bedrooms.
After finishing the tour of the basement bathroom and upper floors, Yoo Harin asked carefully,
“Do you like it?”
“……Yes.”
My honest feelings tumbled out.
“I love it!”
At that moment the Subspace Pocket reacted with heat.
[Master.]
‘What?’
[May this one come out now?]
I whispered back to Cardia.
‘Not yet. Wait a little longer.’
[As you command.]
Yoo Harin, standing beside me, spoke quietly.
“I’ll handle the contract procedures. And since you’ll have belongings to move, I’ll arrange a moving company for you as well.”
“Thank you so much.”
“In return…”
“Yes?”
She looked at me with a cautious gaze, her face turning red.
“Sometimes… if we could just eat a meal together…”
In that instant the Subspace Pocket grew subtly hotter. At this rate it felt like a hole might burn straight through my pants.
[Master.]
Cardia said quietly.
[If you dine with that young lady, this humble one must join as well.]
‘…Got it.’
Smiling, I answered Yoo Harin.
“That sounds good.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Th-th-th-then…”
Yoo Harin’s expression brightened, the corners of her eyes curving into gentle arcs.
At that moment a status window appeared before my eyes.
A new base has been registered.
Base: Gangnam Hunter Mansion
A residence with mana-blocking barriers applied.
Contracted Dragon Concealment Suitability: High
The Red Lotus Dragon Cardia is pleased with her new nest.
Due to the registration of a new base, the user’s presence wavelength has stabilized.
Other Disaster-Class Dragons will find it more difficult to track the user’s location.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Yoo Harin watched my reaction and gave a small smile. The next moment she fidgeted, pressing her two fingers together for no reason, then handed me the card key.
“Th-then… r-rest well.”
“Thank you so much for today.”
“Ah, n-no!”
She hurriedly waved her hands, her neck flushed all the way up as she added,
“Ah, and…”
“Yes?”
“My house is right over the next wall, so if you n-n-n-n-need any help, d-don’t hesitate to come over!”
The last words came out almost as a shout. The next instant Yoo Harin spun around as if fleeing.
“Then I’ll be going!”
“Ah, yes.”
Tot-tot-tot! Bang!
The front door closed.
“…….”
I stared blankly at the door for a while.
Right over the next wall. Meaning the house next door to this mansion was Yoo Harin’s. One of South Korea’s S-Class hunters lived next door to me. It truly felt like a dream.
Then a whisper rose from the Subspace Pocket at my waist. Cardia’s voice rumbled low.
[May this one come out now?]
Only then did I snap back to myself.
“Ah. Right. Cardia!”
I glanced around without thinking and said,
“Cardia. You can come out now.”
Whoosh.
Crimson flames bloomed, and Cardia appeared in the middle of the living room. Long red hair. Gem-like scarlet eyes. The breathtakingly beautiful dragon suited the luxurious living-room interior perfectly.
I asked the woman who was looking around for a moment,
“How is it?”
Cardia’s eyes sparkled as she answered in a serious tone.
“It is truly magnificent.”
“Oh.”
“A nest of this caliber is befitting of Master’s station.”
“That good?”
“Indeed it is.”
Then, with steps full of excitement, she began walking around the living room. She carefully examined the area around the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sofa, the stairs, the kitchen, even the door leading to the garden, her eyes sparkling the whole time. Watching her childlike curiosity, the corners of my mouth curved upward on their own.
At last Cardia nodded and approached me.
“This is a space where this humble one may serve Master with peace of mind.”
“The word ‘serve’ is a bit much…”
“I speak of that young lady.”
“Hm?”
“Yoo Harin, was it?”
“That’s right.”
“She seems a better young lady than I expected.”
I blinked.
“Not calling her a female anymore?”
Cardia slightly averted her gaze as she answered.
“Because her motives are not impure.”
She looked back at me and added,
“Of course, the fact that she harbors romantic feelings for Master remains unchanged.”
With those words her eyes glittered dangerously. I chuckled and gently stroked her head.
“Still, thank you for holding back so well today.”
In that instant Cardia’s sharp gaze softened.
“……Master.”
“Yeah?”
Her scarlet eyes curved gently.
“This humble one… is happy.”
Cardia slipped naturally into my arms.
Soft!
“……!”
My heart pounded like mad and at the same time my lower body hardened again. Cardia nuzzled her face against my chest and exhaled in satisfaction.
“The first praise received in the new nest… hehe.”
“That good?”
“Indeed it is.”
The next moment her blazing scarlet eyes turned back to me.
“Tonight, toy with this humble one to your heart’s content.”
“Huh?”
I glanced around. The entire front was floor-to-ceiling glass. A structure where the inside was completely visible from outside. I wrapped my arms around her and whispered,
“Then… shall we go to the bedroom?”
Cardia shook her head.
“Nay. This one wishes to savor the thrill that someone might be watching from outside.”
With those words she stripped off every piece of clothing she wore, lay down on the sofa, and said,
“Now, taste this humble one as much as you desire.”
